[JASMINE – POV]
Detention.
It wasn't my fault—well, not entirely. Mr. Ajayi caught Lucas and me passing notes during chemistry, and instead of a warning, he gave us two hours in the library after school.
Alone.
With no phones.
Lucas leaned back in his chair, smirking. "Remind me to get you in trouble more often."
I rolled my eyes but smiled. "You're enjoying this way too much."
He leaned closer, voice low. "Wouldn't you? Locked in a room with your favorite person?"
My heart fluttered, stupid and soft.
We were supposed to be silent, but that rule didn't last long.
"I used to dream of getting out of Lagos," I admitted, tracing a finger along the edge of a book. "Now I'm here, and everything's more complicated than I imagined."
Lucas didn't hesitate. "Sometimes the mess is worth it."
I turned toward him slowly, feeling the air shift.
And then his hand brushed mine—slow, careful, lingering.
"You make this place feel like something more, Jasmine."
My breath hitched.
That wasn't a flirt.
That was real.
[LUCAS – POV]
There were a thousand things I could've said next.
But I didn't need to.
The silence between us said enough—and when she finally leaned in, her head resting on my shoulder…
I knew I'd fall for her a hundred times again if it meant I got to hold her like this.
Even in detention.